Variation in grain quality of pearl millet from Sahelian West Africa

Agricultural intensification through the application of mineral fertilizers , the recycling of crop residues and animal manures and through plant breed ing are the only means to increase food supply in the poverty ridden West A frican Sahel, where pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.) is the do minant staple. Research on the effects of soil amendments on the quality of millet straw and grain is Scarce, comparative studies of possible quality differences in traditional landraces versus improved varieties and hybrids are lacking. This paper reports results from 22 landrace populations, 22 im proved varieties, six inbred x variety hybrids (IVHs, fertile inbred x open -pollinated varieties) and four topcross hybrids (TCHs, male-sterile line x open-pollinated varieties), whose grains were analyzed for protein concent ration and amino acid composition, macro- and micronutrients (total and phy tate P, K, Ca, Mg, Zn, Cu), metabolizable energy (ME), fat and beta -carote ne. At similar yield levels, landraces showed a 2.9 and 3.5% higher protein concentration compared with improved varieties and hybrids without a detri mental effect on protein quality as determined by the relative amount of ly sine and threonine. Landrace populations also had the highest fat concentra tions and the largest micronutrient densities. However, in-vitro digestibil ity and ME were (79.8% and 12.2 MJ kg(-1) respectively) larger for both gro ups of hybrids. The concentration of beta -carotene was (0.13 mu mol kg(-1) ) highest in the improved varieties, but appeared overall too low to signif icantly contribute to vitamin A nutrition in local diets. While the results of this genotype screening need to be verified in replicated multi-locatio n trial studies, they underline the potential of including landraces in bre eding programs to concurrently improve grain yield and grain quality in thi s area of the world. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.